We have read lots of articles about weird interview questions. What kind of farm animal would you be (beware the rooster!) and what character would you be in the board game Clue. Some of the questions are frankly, ridiculous and I’m not sure how any of them can be interpreted in any meaningful way.

I thought about this during my conversations with candidates this week and this set of interview questions came to mind. These questions may never get asked but if you spend some time digesting them and reflecting on them, you may come across as a more calm and confident candidate in your next interview.

Have you ever had a near death experience? How did it affect you? Did you make major changes in your life as a result?

What was the last app you got? Free or Paid? (this is a bit telling – the last app I got was a free fart machine app for my Blackberry Torch)

Soft Ice cream or hard?

Mac or PC?

What was your last donation? (yes, kidneys count)

How much money would you need to live the life of your choice?

Describe your ideal birthday party.

I’m not saying that you will be candidate number one, but as one of my good friends used to say “A life unexamined is a life not worth living” and if you are in a time of career transition, you can probably afford to set aside some time for reflection.